Crutchlow out at LCR
MotoGP Brit targeting Aprilia factory ride after being dropped by Honda
Cal Crutchlow will start his final MotoGP season as a HRC rider at Jerez on Friday after confirmation that he is being replaced by Alex Marquez in the LCR Honda team for 2021. The announcement, made on Monday, ends what will be a highly successful six-year partnership with the team which has seen him win three MotoGP races and secure 12 podiums to date.
It’s the end of an era for the 34 year old who is the first and only Brit to win a premier class race since Barry Sheene, but Crutchlow isn’t done yet and is locked in negotiations with Aprilia about joining their rapidly improving factory MotoGP project.
“If the opportunity came that I could ride for Aprilia it would be a great deal for me,” Crutchlow told MCN. “It’s something that would excite me, it’s an interesting project to try to put that bike on the podium and developing it would be something that I would be very good at given the speed that I have. People need to remember that the last time I finished a race was in Australia when I was on the podium alongside Marquez. I haven’t lost my speed and I feel good and I feel motivated and determined to continue – maybe now more than ever! You know the way I work, when my back’s against the wall it works better for me so we’ll see how that pans out in the near future.” The all new Aprilia RS-GP was one of the highlights of winter testing with No1 rider Aleix Espargaro running at the front throughout and full of praise for the drastically improved package – something that isn’t lost on Crutchlow.
“I know the investment Aprilia have made and they are doing well with their bike – that’s for sure. They’ve done an amazing job and looking at the comments from the riders and the data, I think the bike is good. That’s a project I’d be interested in, the bike is getting better and I think it would continue to do so with my experience as well. Aleix has done a good job and he has shown in testing that he is going very well.”
Cal is also keen to point out that he is not a spent force. Although there was talk of retirement during the 2019 season, his improved ankle injury and subsequent reduction in pain has seen him commit his future to MotoGP.
“At the start of this year I went to the Sepang test where I was second fastest and faster than I’ve ever been around the circuit in the last 10 years of riding there – my speed is still there. People talk about me retiring or losing my job but I’m faster than ever.
“And now there is a great opportunity for me to continue working in MotoGP with a great team doing something that I want to do.”